Eugenie Bouchard reaches Wimbledon final - CBC Sports - Tennis Eugenie Bouchard reaches Wimbledon final 1st Canadian women's singles player in Grand Slam title match Posted: Jul 03, 2014 9:59 AM ET Last Updated: Jul 03, 2014 11:51 PM ET Bouchard reaches Wimbledon final 3:07 Tennis elite taking notice of Eugenie Bouchard 3:02 Related Stories Bouchard making history at Wimbledon Eugenie Bouchard has become the first Canadian women's singles tennis player to reach a Grand Slam final after defeating Romania's Simona Halep at Wimbledon on Thursday. Bouchard, the No. 13 seed from the Montreal area, upset the third-seeded Halep 7-6 (5), 6-2 on the grass at the All England Club. Bouchard will face Petra Kvitova for the title. The sixth-seeded Czech defeated No. 23 Lucie Safarova in the other semifinal earlier. Kvitova, a powerful lefty, won Wimbledon in 2011. She defeated Bouchard in straight sets in Toronto last year.

"I'm just gonna go for it," said Bouchard, who reached the semis of the Australian and French Opens this season. "I'll have probably my toughest match yet." Halep showed toughness in the semifinal by playing through an apparent ankle injury. The Romanian rolled her left ankle while chasing down a ball on the final point of the fourth game of the match. She took a medical timeout and had the ankle wrapped but did not appear overly affected by the injury once play resumed. Congratulations to @geniebouchard for making history. Canada will continue to cheer you on as you head to the #Wimbledon finals. #cdntennis — Stephen Harper (@pmharper) July 3, 2014 Milos Raonic will look to follow Bouchard's lead when he faces seven-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer in the men's semifinals on Friday. Raonic and Bouchard are the first Canadian singles players in the Open era to reach the Wimbledon semis. Greg Rusedski is the only other Canadian-born player to reach a Grand Slam singles final, but he had decided to compete for Great Britain before he made it to the 1997 U.S. Open final.

Canada has two other players still alive in the doubles draws. Toronto's Daniel Nestor and his mixed doubles teammate Kristina Mladenovic of France are in the semifinals, while Vancouver's Vasek Pospisil and his American teammate Jack Sock are in the men's doubles semis. Tennis scoring for dummies Love is generally a good thing, unless you're playing tennis. In tennis, "Love" is zero, and zero, as in any sports score, is bad. The object of tennis is to win points, then games, then sets, then the match. Players alternate games between serving and returning serve. You serve to your opponent and win? Nice one! That's 15-Love for you, not 1-0. Serve and win again? 30-Love. Again? 40-Love, then one more, and that's Game. If you're tied at 40-40, that's called "Deuce." It just is.

Whoever wins the next point has the advantage, so if you're serving and you're ahead, it's "Ad In," and if you're returning and up a point, it's "Ad Out." If you have the advantage and win the point, you win the game. But if you lose the point, it's back to Deuce, my sneakered friend. A player who is the first to win six games wins the set, unless it's tied at 6-6, which happens a lot and forces a tie-break. In tie-breaks, the player first to win seven points with two points more than his opponent wins the tie-break — and the set. In major professional tournaments such as Wimbledon, known as "Grand Slams" on the tour, men play up to five sets in a match, and the first player to win three sets wins. The women play up to three sets, with the first to win two sets being the winner. If it's tied 6-6 at the end of the last set, then get ready for the long haul, as the winner is determined not by a tie-break, but by whoever next wins two consecutive games. See? It's simple.

Now you're ready for this weekend's final. Go Genie Go! Report Typo or Error Send Feedback To encourage thoughtful and respectful conversations, first and last names will appear with each submission to CBC/Radio-Canada's online communities (except in children and youth-oriented communities). Pseudonyms will no longer be permitted. By submitting a comment, you accept that CBC has the right to reproduce and publish that comment in whole or in part, in any manner CBC chooses. Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines . Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time. Bouchard, Raonic make Canadian tennis history at Wimbledon - The Globe and Mail The Globe and Mail Wednesday, Jul. 02, 2014 2:51PM EDT Last updated Print License article At the storied All-England Club in the world’s most prestigious tennis tournament, Canadian tennis history is being made by two ambitious youngsters who are becoming global superstars before our eyes.

No Canadian has ever won a Grand Slam singles title, and now on the hallowed grounds of Wimbledon, Genie Bouchard and Milos Raonic have given the nation its best chance. For the first time in any Grand Slam tennis tournament in the sport's history, two Canadian singles players have advanced to the semi-finals. Reuters Eugenie Bouchard follows through on a serve during her women's singles quarter-final tennis match against Angelique Kerber REUTERS IN PHOTOS Images from Wednesday's play at Wimbledon The world has taken notice of huge strides in Canadian tennis, and in no place is that more obvious than England, where Michael Downey now presides over the prestigious Lawn Tennis Association, lured from Tennis Canada last year for his success there. This week in London, Bouchard and Raonic have stolen the spotlight from usual stars like Britain’s Andy Murray and the American Serena Williams, who have both lost. First Genie Bouchard cruised past Germany’s Angelique Kerber in Wednesday’s quarter-finals, 6-3, 6-4 to make her remarkable third straight Grand Slam semi of 2014.

Then Milos Raonic advanced to his first final four at a Slam by surviving a dramatic tug-of-war with fiery 19-year-old Australian giant slayer Nick Kyrgios, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4, 7-6, one that had the crowd at the All-England Club standing in ovation. Raonic, the No.8 seed, has earned a semi-final faceoff with seven-time Wimbledon champion and fourth-seeded Roger Federer on Friday. Bouchard, the No.13-seed in London, will face third-seeded Simona Halep of Romania on Thursday, also in the hunt for her first Grand Slam title after recently being the French Open runner-up. After dusting Kerber in less than an hour at Roland Garros last month, No. 13-seeded Bouchard did it once again in a similar swift, business-like fashion. The 20-year-old Quebecer beat the No. 9 seed by doing what she does best – dictating the pace of the match, crushing forehands, and changing the ball’s direction on a dime, tallying 29 winners.

Kerber didn’t have the same jump that she exhibited a day earlier while toppling Maria Sharapova in a two-and-a-half-hour slug fest. “I’m excited to be in the semis, but I’m never satisfied,” Bouchard told reporters in London. “Results that come for me, in the back of my mind I expected them because I’ve put in so much time and effort, so I have the true belief that I deserve these results when I get them.” Bouchard has made strong memories over the past few years at Wimbledon. She won singles and doubles titles as a junior at the All-England Club, and last year had one of her first big breakthrough moments when she upset Ana Ivanovic on centre court. Two years later, she’s a serious contender for the pro title and even has a celebrity friend in her player box – Big Bang Theory actor Jim Parsons in her player both, who has invited the rising star to make a cameo on his show. It has happened so quickly for Bouchard. She is only the second Canadian female singles pro in history to reach the semis at a Slam, following in the footsteps of Carling Bassett, who did so at the 1984 U.S. Open.

“I’ve always been a big supporter of Eugenie’s, but to say I would have predicted two years ago when she won junior Wimbledon that I could see her in this position as a pro at Wimbledon just two years later? No I couldn’t have predicted her rise would have been this fast,” said Sylvain Bruneau, captain of Canada’s Fed Cup team and part of Bouchard’s coaching circle at Wimbledon. Bouchard and Halep have met just once, and it was a 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 win for the 22-year-old Romanian in the Round of 16 at Indian Wells back in March. Both youngsters are 15-2 in Grand Slam matches this year. But the Canadian is 0-2 in her semi-finals, losing to Li Na at the Australian Open and Sharapova at the French Open. If Bouchard is to get past Halep, she would meet the winner of a semi-final between No.6-seeded Petra Kvitova and No. 23 Lucie Safarova. Kvitova is the only one among them to have won a slam.

Bouchard, who began 2014 ranked No.31 and has risen quickly since, will jump inside the Top 10 as the result of this run. She will become the highest-ranked Canadian woman singles player ever, soaring to a possible No.8 when the next rankings come out. Raonic becomes the first man in Open era to make the singles semi-finals at a Grand Slam. The last Canadian man to appear in a major final four was Williams Johnston at the 1923 US Championships, while the last to do it at Wimbledon was Robert Powell at Wimbledon back in 1908. Raonic had faced the World No. 144 just once before -- a straight-sets win for the Canadian at Roland Garros last month. This match was far more strenuous, lasting four sets as the two men, both over 6-foot-4, traded powerful ground strokes. The emotional Aussie broke the native of Thornhill, Ont. just once. The Canadian blistered 39 aces on the day, at times frustrating the unseeded young Australian, who was left staring at moments in his return game. This run has been redemption for the 23-year-old.

It’s Raonic’s first venture past the second round at Wimbledon. His most memorable moment at the All-England club before this had been the gruesome hip injury he sustained back in 2011 on the grass, one which caused months of missed play and physiotherapy. Raonic is 0-4 against Federer, the 17-time Grand Slam champion. Here’s how Canada’s Milos Raonic and Andy Murray match up in historic men’s final at Wimbledon | National Post Here’s how Canada’s Milos Raonic and Andy Murray match up in historic men’s final at Wimbledon StumbleUpon WIMBLEDON, England — Milos Raonic will be looking to make Canadian tennis history when he faces Great Britain’s Andy Murray in the Wimbledon final Sunday morning. No Canadian has ever won a Grand Slam singles championship. The only Canadian to ever advance to a Grand Slam singles final before Raonic was Eugenie Bouchard, who lost the 2014 Wimbledon women’s final 6-3, 6-2 to the Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova.

Here’s a breakdown of Sunday’s men’s final: MILOS RAONIC Coaches: Riccardo Piatti, Carlos Moya, John McEnroe ATP ranking: 7 Career Grand Slam record: 57-21 Best career Grand Slam result: Wimbledon finalist 2016 Career record on grass: 28-14 2016 record: 37-8 Career titles: 8 Career prize money: US$10,710,488 Strengths: Raonic’s serve will always be his biggest strength. In his first six matches here, the big Canadian has 154 aces and has hit a top speed of 144 mph. By comparison, Murray has 52 aces and a top speed of 134 mph. Raonic has only lost five of his 121 service games en route to the final, while Murray is 85-8 while serving. Weaknesses: Raonic has never won a grass-court tournament, but that’s why he hired McEnroe, a three-time champion here.

McEnroe’s coaching has already paid off with a 10-1 record this year on grass for Raonic, including a five-set victory over Roger Federer in the semifinals. But it did take five sets and could take a physical toll on the big Canadian, while Murray won his semifinal against Tomas Berdych in three easy sets. Raonic’s one loss on grass this year was to Murray. Experience factor: Raonic is four years younger than Murray and is looking to become the youngest man to win Wimbledon since Novak Djokovic did it in 2011 at age 24. With a win, Raonic would also become the youngest man to win any Grand Slam title since Djokovic won the 2012 Australian Open before his 25th birthday. Raonic has eight career titles, but none of them have come on grass. The last man to win a Grand Slam title in his first final appearance was Marin Cilic at the 2014 U.S. Open. He said it: “I have a great opportunity on Sunday. That’s what I’m definitely going to be looking forward to it.

There was a significant point for me coming back from two sets to love in the fourth round. Both Carlos and John (two of his coaches) took me aside and said: ‘This can change your career at this point.’ So hopefully it continues that way.” ANDY MURRAY Career Grand Slam record: 171-39 Best career Grand Slam result: 2 titles (U.S. Open 2012, Wimbledon 2013) Career record on grass: 101-17 2016 record: 39-6 Career titles: 37 Career prize money: US$46,740,897 Strengths: Murray’s game is made for Wimbledon and he is at home on grass, as his 101-17 lifetime record on the surface shows. But Murray’s all-around game is the reason why he’s the No. 2 ranked player in the world behind Djokovic. While his serve isn’t as fast as Raonic’s, Murray has only six double faults during the tournament. Raonic has 28.

Weaknesses: The home-court advantage can help, but it can also bring a lot of pressure — especially if things start going badly. The only two men to lose more Grand Slam finals in the Open Era than Murray are Ivan Lendl (11) and Federer (10). Murray has already been broken eight times during the tournament — and he hasn’t faced Raonic’s bullets yet. Experience factor: Murray is making his 11th appearance in a Grand Slam final, although his record in the previous 10 matches is 2-8. He won the championship on Centre Court here in 2013, so he knows what it takes. This will mark the first time Murray has faced someone other than Federer or Djokovic in a Grand Slam final. He said it: “Wimbledon for a lot of the players, but for British players growing up, this is the biggest competition. To get to play in front of a home crowd in a Grand Slam final is very, very rare. There’s not many players that get the opportunity to do that.

Yeah, this one always feels a little bit more special.” THE ODDS Tennisabstract.com has the odds of Murray winning the championship listed at 67.7 per cent. That’s big. PREDICTION The odds are definitely against Raonic, who is looking to become the first No. 6 seed to win at Wimbledon since Michael Stich beat Boris Becker in 1991. That’s also the only time in the Open Era that a No. 6 seed has beaten the No. 2 seed in a Grand Slam final. The last time a No. 6 seed won a Grand Slam title was Juan Martin del Potro at the 2009 U.S. Open, when he beat Federer. Murray is also on a five-match winning streak against Raonic, including a 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-3 win in the Queen’s Club final last month on grass. Murray also beat Raonic in the semifinals of this year’s Australian Open, winning in five sets. Raonic seems to be a man on a mission to win Wimbledon, but probably comes up just short in five sets against Murray. But as a proud Canadian, I really hope I’m wrong.

Milos Raonic beats Federer, makes Canadian history at Wimbledon - CBC Sports - Tennis Milos Raonic beats Federer, makes Canadian history at Wimbledon Becomes 1st Canadian to reach Grand Slam men's singles final Posted: Jul 08, 2016 8:44 AM ET Last Updated: Jul 08, 2016 9:39 PM ET Raonic on Canadian tennis "There's a lot to look forward to" 3:07 Related Stories Serena Williams rolls into Wimbledon final Milos Raonic made Canadian tennis history Friday by defeating one of the sport's all-time greats on its biggest stage. In rallying to beat seven-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer 6-3, 6-7 (3), 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the semifinals at the All England Club, the big-serving Thornhill, Ont., native became the first player representing Canada to reach a Grand Slam men's singles final. Milos Raonic makes Canadian history at Wimbledon0:55 ​Canadian-born Greg Rusedski made the 1997 U.S. Open final, but by that time he was competing under the British flag.

Canada's Eugenie Bouchard reached the Wimbledon women's final in 2014. The sixth-seeded Raonic, 25, will face No. 2 Andy Murray in Sunday's final after the 2013 Wimbledon champion dispatched No. 10 Tomas Berdych 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 in the other semifinal. Andy Murray Sees off Tomas Berdych, Will face Milos Raonic in Wimbledon final0:41 "It'll be a bigger impact [on Canadian tennis] if I can win," Raonic said. "I've got to put my energy into that." Raonic's victory earned him a measure of revenge against Federer, who came into the match with a 9-2 edge in head-to-head meetings, including a straight-sets win in the Wimbledon semifinals two years ago. Federer had won 10 straight Wimbledon semis. The third-seeded Federer, who owns a record 17 Grand Slam men's singles titles, was denied a chance to set the all-time record for Wimbledon men's crowns.

He shares the mark with Pete Sampras and 1880s player William Renshaw at seven apiece. The Swiss star may lament a missed opportunity on a break point late in the fourth set that would have allowed him to serve for the match. Instead, Raonic held and later broke Federer in the final game of the set to force a fifth and deciding set. Service breaks were relatively rare in the match as the tall, powerful Raonic hit 23 aces and Federer had 16 of his own. Raonic made 40 unforced errors — the more graceful Federer limited his to 14 — but overcame them with several pinpoint winners when the match was on the line in the final set. He finished with 75 winners to Federer's 49. Federer calls for trainer After Raonic broke to take the fourth set, Federer called for a trainer on the changeover and had his right thigh massaged. Then, while serving at 2-1 down in the fifth, Federer lost his footing on a deuce point and fell onto his stomach on the turf while trying in vain to reach a passing shot.

Federer went immediately to his chair and called for trainer, who examined his left knee. Federer, who had surgery on his left knee in January, resumed the game and didn't show any outward sign of injury. But he was broken in that game after a crucial double-fault at deuce. On the second break point, Raonic stroked a forehand cross-court passing shot winner after both men made difficult volleys to stay in the point. That break put Raonic in firm control, and he stayed on top the rest of the set and served out the match at love. Breakthrough win It was a breakthrough victory for Raonic, who has had John McEnroe in his coaching corner since the Wimbledon warm-up tournament at Queen's Club. "What he told me today is, 'leave it all out there,'" Raonic said. Milos Raonic | Is Time Running Out?13:00 In his previous Grand Slam semifinal match, Raonic lost to Murray at this year's Australian Open. At 25, he's the youngest Wimbledon finalist since Murray reached the title match in 2012 at the same age.

Raonic came into the semifinals on a five-match losing streak against players ranked in the top three. He was also 0-4 in majors against top-three players. With files from The Associated Press Wimbledon: Eugenie Bouchard first Canadian to make final with win over Simona Halep | Toronto Star Tennis Wimbledon: Eugenie Bouchard first Canadian to make final with win over Simona Halep Bouchard wins 7-6 (5), 6-2 in the semifinal to make Canadian tennis history. She plays Petra Kvitova in the final Saturday. Canada's Eugenie Bouchard returns to Romania's Simona Halep during their women's singles semi-final match on day ten of the 2014 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 3, 2014. (GLYN KIRK / AFP/GETTY IMAGES) By Jennifer Quinn News reporter Thu., July 3, 2014 LONDON—It took six match points, an hour and 34 minutes — and about, oh, 130 years — but Canada finally has its first women’s singles Wimbledon finalist. Eugenie Bouchard defeated No.

3 Simona Halep 7-6 (5), 6-2 to advance to Saturday’s final. There, she will meet Petra Kvitova, the tournament’s sixth seed and 2011 champion. “I am glad I got to stay at Wimbledon for two full weeks,” Bouchard, the No. 13 seed, told the BBC, “and I will not leave anything on the court.” RELATED: PHOTO GALLERY: Bouchard’s road to final FROM THE FILES: Our first story on Eugenie Bouchard, at 2010 Wimbledon Halep, who was the top remaining seed in the women’s draw, started strongly, but slipped on a point early in the first set and needed a medical timeout to have her ankle taped. The pair played to a first-set tiebreak, but the second set saw Bouchard pull away from the Romanian. Halep’s serve deserted her in the second frame. Despite some nerves — Bouchard had a double-fault of her own at match point — the Canadian No. 1 raised her arms in victory and turned to her box when Halep’s return on match point three fell into the net.

Bouchard is not only Canada’s first Wimbledon finalist; she is also Canada’s first Grand Slam finalist . Her success on the grass of SW19 comes after two straight semifinal appearances this season, at the Australian and French Opens, and after a junior championship here in 2012. Bouchard, from Westmount, Que., is the only woman to have advanced to all three Grand Slam semifinals this year. “After doing well in the past few Slams, I’ve been believing since the beginning of the tournament that I can do really well,” she said. “I’m just trying to take it one match at a time. It’s really important not to get ahead of ourselves. “I totally feel like I belong, and I’m just so excited for the next match.” Bouchard has played the left-handed Kvitova just once — in Toronto, at the 2013 Rogers Cup. Bouchard lost in straight sets on the hardcourt — but her mantra here has been that matches which happened in the past stay in the past. Bouchard has not dropped a set in six matches so far at Wimbledon. “It’s not like a surprise to me — I expect good results like this,” she said.

“So for me, I was like, ‘OK good. It’s a step in the right direction.’ I get to play in the final and I still have another match so it’s not a full celebration yet.” Another Canadian is in the final four of the men’s draw. Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., will take on Switzerland’s Roger Federer in semifinal play Friday. There could be a Canadian in the men’s singles final as well. Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., will take on Switzerland’s Roger Federer on Friday with a berth in Sunday’s championship on the line. This is uncharted territory for Canadian tennis. Before this tournament, no Canadian had ever reached a men’s or women’s Grand Slam singles final, according to Tennis Canada. The last Canadian to reach a singles semifinal at a major was Robert Powell at Wimbledon in 1908, the organization said. Montreal native Greg Rusedski reached the U.S. Open final in 1997 but he was representing Great Britain at that time. Bouchard is projected to rise to No. 7 — the highest ranking for a Canadian woman — by reaching the final and would go to No. 6 by winning the championship.

Bouchard would also be the youngest Grand Slam champion since Maria Sharapova won the 2006 U.S. Open at age 19. “I’ve put in a lot of hard work and it’s been kind of years in the making to me,” Bouchard said. “So I believe in myself and I expect good results. I’ve had a good start to the season, but I expect myself to do even better than that.” In a semifinal that was delayed twice in the first set — first by a left ankle injury to Halep, and then when a woman spectator fell ill during the tiebreaker — Halep double-faulted on break point in the second set and then was broken again by Bouchard to give the Canadian a 4-1 lead. Halep, who saved three match points in the seventh game and two more in the final game, appeared to be increasingly affected by her ankle injury and looked down at her feet several times after hitting shots. “It was difficult to continue . . . I felt a big pain in the moment, but then was better with the tape,” Halep said. “But still, I couldn’t push anymore with my leg.

My first serve was really bad after that.” On Bouchard’s first match point, Halep hit an ace, but Bouchard did not appear ready to receive, and she went to speak with chair umpire Kader Nouni. But the point stood and Bouchard failed to clinch the match. “When Simona tossed I heard someone scream in the crowd,” Bouchard said. “It had happened a few times already. This time I didn’t feel prepared to return, so I put my hand up. I felt like we should have replayed the point, but he said, no, it was her point. Just happy I kept my focus and didn’t get distracted.” The tiebreaker was delayed briefly when the female spectator became ill. With Halep leading 3-2, Nouni jumped from his chair to alert security officials to the woman’s illness and told both players to go to their sideline chairs. Temperatures on Centre Court were 25 degrees Celsius under sunny skies. Following a delay of about five minutes and after the woman was escorted from the seating area by medical staff, the tiebreaker resumed. The woman returned to her seat later in the match after treatment.

Halep had never been past the third round at a Grand Slam until last year, when she made it to the fourth round at the U.S. Open. Then she reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open in January, and got to the final at the French Open last month, losing to Sharapova. Kvitova is the only player born in the 1990s to have won a major title, taking the crown at the All England Club in 2011. She improved her record to 25-5 on the Wimbledon grass and she’s made at least the quarter-finals five years in a row. “I know how (it feels) when you hold the trophy so I really want to win my second title here and I will do everything I can,” Kvitova said. It was the first Grand Slam semifinal between two Czech women. It marked No. 6-seeded Kvitova’s 15th consecutive win against a left-hander and she beat 23rd-seeded Safarova — who was playing on Centre Court for the first time — for the sixth match in a row. “I don’t have words to describe my feeling right now,” Kvitova said.

“It was a tough match mentally, as well, because Lucie is a good friend of mine. We know each (other) very well off the court and on the court, as well.” The men had the day off Thursday ahead of Friday’s semifinals. In addition to the Federer-Raonic match, top-seeded Novak Djokovic will play Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov. The winners will play Sunday in the final. Also Thursday, Vasek Pospisil of Vancouver and American Jack Sock upset the second-seeded duo of Alexander Peya of Austria and Bruno Soares of Brazil in men’s doubles quarter-final action. The third-seeded team of Toronto’s Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia dropped a 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, 6-4 decision to fifth seeds Leander Paes of India and Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic.

With files from The Canadian Press Read more about: Wimbledon 2014: Petra Kvitova wins second women's Wimbledon title as she destroys Eugenie Bouchard | The Independent Wimbledon 2014: Petra Kvitova wins second women's Wimbledon title as she destroys Eugenie Bouchard Czech’s power and shot-making is too much for rival in 6-3 6-0 win Saturday 5 July 2014 14:07 BST Click to follow The Independent Online The moment Petra Kvitova won the final against Eugenie Bouchard GETTY IMAGES It was a display of which any of the legends in the Royal Box would have been proud. Under the approving eyes of former champions like Martina Navratilova, Martina Hingis and Maria Bueno, Petra Kvitova delivered one of the outstanding performances of recent Wimbledon history to claim her second All England Club title here. Poor Eugenie Bouchard, who has won the hearts of the British public over the last fortnight, had no answer to Kvitova’s stunning shot-making.

The 24-year-old Czech needed only 55 minutes to win 6-3 6-0, making it the shortest women’s final at Wimbledon since Navratilova beat Andrea Jaeger by the same scoreline in 54 minutes in 1983. It makes you wonder quite how Suzanne Lenglen beat Molla Mallory 6-2 6-0 in just 23 minutes in the quickest final in Wimbledon history in 1922. The fact that Bouchard never found any rhythm on her debut in a Grand Slam final was down to the sheer power and accuracy of Kvitova’s hitting. The 2011 Wimbledon champion struck the ball superbly from both flanks. She hits her ground strokes flat and hard, with minimal top spin and very little margin for error. The ball flew off the slick grass, denying Bouchard the time to play her shots. The 20-year-old Canadian likes to dominate opponents but was never given a chance of doing that. Petra Kvitova celebrates winning a point Kvitova, who also served beautifully, said it was one of the best matches she had ever played.

“I knew that I could play well on the grass, but I really played so well today,” she said. “I knew exactly what I had to do to beat her. I was very focused on every point. I knew I had to go forward with every shot to push her.” With Princess Eugenie, whom Bouchard was named after, watching from the Royal Box, the Canadian showed no signs of nerves at the start of the first Grand Slam final to be contested by two players born in the 1990s. Petra Kvitova kisses the winner's Venus Rosewater Dish during the presentation after beating Eugenie Bouchard Kvitova might seem like a long- established figure within the game but she is still only 24. On this evidence she could win here many more times, though she said afterwards that she could not see herself emulating her fellow Czech, Navratilova, who won the Wimbledon title on nine occasions. The morning rain had cleared by the time the match started, but under overcast skies it was significantly cooler than it had been in recent days. Kvitova, nevertheless, was red-hot from the start and Bouchard was soon struggling to cope with her power.

The best pictures from Wimbledon 2014 The best pictures from Wimbledon 2014 1/55 Day 13 Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer pose with their trophies after the final GETTY IMAGES Novak Djokovic celebrates his victory over Roger Federer GETTY IMAGES 3/55 Day 13 Samuel L Jackson and Sofia Davis in the Royal Box on Centre Court before the Gentlemen's Singles Final Getty Images 4/55 Day 13 Prince William Duke of Cambridge talks with Chris Hoy in the Royal Box on Centre Court before the Gentlemen's Singles Final Getty Images 5/55 Day 13 Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Gill Brook wife of AELTC Chairman Philip Brook in the Royal Box on Centre Court before the Gentlemen's Singles Final Getty Images Roger Federer celebrates clinching the first set of the men's singles final on a tie-break Getty Images Petra Kvitova kisses the winner's Venus Rosewater Dish during the presentation after beating Eugenie Bouchard GETTY IMAGES The moment Petra Kvitova won the final against Eugenie Bouchard GETTY IMAGES Petra Kvitova and Eugenie Bouchard after their Wimbledon final GETTY IMAGES Petra Kvitova celebrates winning

 a point during the Wimbledon final Getty Images Maria Sharapova watches boyfriend Grigor Dimitrov during his semi-final with Novak Djokovic Getty Images 12/55 Day 11 Serbia's Novak Djokovic receives a ball before serving during his men's singles semi-final match against Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov GETTY IMAGES Grigor Dimitrov pictured during his semi-final defeat to Novak Djokovic GETTY IMAGES Grigor Dimitrov pictured during his semi-final defeat to Novak Djokovic GETTY IMAGES 15/55 Day 10 Novak Djokovic of Serbia during a practice session as fans watch the action on day ten of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club Getty Images 16/55 Day 10 Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic celebrates after winning her Ladies' Singles semi-final match against Lucie Safarova of Czech Republic on day ten of Wimbledon Getty Images Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates after winning his Gentlemen's Singles quarter-final match against Marin Cilic GETTY IMAGES The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge watch Andy Murray lose at Wimbledon GETTY IMAGES Andy Murray pictured during his defeat to Gregor Dimitrov GETTY IMAGES Andy Murray pictured during his defeat

 to Gregor Dimitrov GETTY IMAGES Gregor Dimitrov celebrates his win over Andy Murray GETTY IMAGES Canada's Eugenie Bouchard celebrates winning her women's singles quarter-final match against Germany's Angelique Kerber GETTY IMAGES Romania's Simona Halep celebrates winning her women's singles quarter-final match against Germany's Sabine Lisicki GETTY IMAGES Sabine Lisicki during her defeat to Simona Halep of Romania GETTY IMAGES Australia's Nick Kyrgios celebrates winning a game against Spain's Rafael Nadal GETTY IMAGES Nadal pictured during his defeat to Nick Kyrgios GETTY IMAGES Rafael Nadal of Spain during his fourth round defeat against Nick Kyrgios GETTY IMAGES 28/55 Day 8 Serena Williams receives treatment during the warm up before her second round doubles match with sister Venus before retiring GETTY IMAGES 29/55 Day 8 Maria Sharapova of Russia stands dejected during her Ladies' Singles fourth round defeat against Angelique Kerber GETTY IMAGES 30/55 Day 8 John Peers of Australia (l) and Jamie Murray of Great Britain (r) during their Gentlemen's Doubles third round defeat GETTY IMAGES Roger Federer during his Gentlemen's Singles fourth

 round victory over Tommy Robredo GETTY IMAGES Novak Djokovic celebrates his win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga GETTY IMAGES Andy Murray after his victory over Kevin Anderson GETTY IMAGES Sir Alex Ferguson watches Andy Murray in action GETTY IMAGES Support for Andy Murray on Centre Court GETTY IMAGES 36/55 Day 7 Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria celebrates after winning his Gentlemen's Singles fourth round match against Leonardo Mayer GETTY IMAGES 37/55 Day 7 Eugenie Bouchard of Canada celebrates after winning her Ladies' Singles fourth round match against Alize Cornet GETTY IMAGES Eugenie Bouchard receives support on Centre Court GETTY IMAGES 39/55 Day 7 Japan's Kei Nishikori signs autographs after winning his men's singles third round match against Italy's Simon Bolelli GETTY IMAGES 40/55 Day 6 Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova (L) and US player Madison Keys (R) switch sides during their women's singles third round match on day six of 2014 Wimbledon Getty Images Serena Williams fails to find the answers as she crashes out of Wimbledon GETTY IMAGES Six hours of play were lost on Saturday GETTY IMAGES 

43/55 Day 6 Maria Sharapova started slowly against the American Alison Riske but ran out a 6-3, 6-0 winner AFP Andy Murray in action during his victory over Roberto Bautista GETTY IMAGES Kim Sears watches Andy Murray in action during his victory over Roberto Bautista GETTY IMAGES Ricky Gervais watches Andy Murray in action during his victory over Roberto Bautista GETTY IMAGES Novak Djokovic tumbles during his victory over Gilles Simon GETTY IMAGES Novak Djokovic in action against Gilles Simon GETTY IMAGES The roof is closed for the first time of the 2014 Wimbledon championships GETTY IMAGES 50/55 Day 4 Roger Federer heads off Centre Court to await the roof to come over during his win over Gilles Muller GETTY IMAGES 51/55 Day 4 Britain's Heather Watson (R) looks on during her women's singles second round defeat to Germany's Angelique Kerber GETTY IMAGES 52/55 Day 4 Maria Sharapova of Russia in action during her Ladies' Singles second round victory against Timea Bacsinszky GETTY IMAGES 53/55 Day 4 Andy Murray walks out to

 start a practice session on day four of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships GETTY IMAGES 54/55 Day 4 Ana Ivanovic of Serbia celebrates after winning her Ladies' Singles second round match against Jie Zheng GETTY IMAGES Raonic ready to make more Canadian tennis history | TENNIS | Tennis | Sports | T Raonic ready to make more Canadian tennis history By Stu Cowan , Montreal Gazette First posted: Saturday, July 09, 2016 07:04 PM EDT | Updated: Saturday, July 09, 2016 07:12 PM EDT A combination of pictures created on July 9, 2016 shows Canada’s Milos Raonic (left) and Britain’s Andy Murray at the 2016 Wimbledon Championships.

(Getty Images) Article Raonic: 'There’s not one thing I’m not going to try to improve' WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND - Milos Raonic already made history by becoming the first Canadian man to advance to a major Grand Slam singles final after beating Roger Federer in five sets in Friday’s semifinals at Wimbledon. On Sunday, Raonic will look to take the next step by becoming the first Canadian — male or female — to win a major Grand Slam singles championship after Montreal’s Eugenie Bouchard lost in the 2014 Wimbledon women’s final. Raonic, who is from Thornhill, Ont., will face Great Britain’s Andy Murray in the final on Centre Court on Sunday (9 a.m., TSN, RDS). They have met nine times before, with Murray winning six of those matches, the most recent in the final of the Queen’s Club grass-court tournament last month with Murray winning 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-3. After his victory over Federer on Friday, Raonic sat down in the Press Centre’s main interview room here to answer questions.

Here’s some of what he said: How would you describe the emotions that you felt when you won this match and saw Roger Federer walking off in defeat as you walked off in victory? “I was very self‑centered at that point. I wasn’t really thinking about Roger. I was very focused on myself, proud of the way I was able to pull through that match. You know, it quickly also shifted to: Okay, let’s get the things in order, let’s get myself ready to play the final here.” This is your first victory against Roger in a Grand Slam. What does it mean to you? “Yeah, it’s definitely a great feeling, from many different aspects. Obviously, what happened here two years ago (losing 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to Federer in the semifinals), I was very disappointed with. Today I sort of persevered. I was sort of plugging away. I was struggling through many parts of the match. He gave me a little opening towards the end of the fourth. I made the most of it. Then I sort of tried to run away with it. I did a lot of things well. The attitude kept me in the match.

I think that’s what made the biggest difference. I was quite vocal, but I was always positive. I was always looking for a solution.” Talk about what this is going to mean for tennis in Canada. A lot of people will be watching on Sunday. What do you say to them and players back home? “It’s a pretty special feeling for myself. But I think it’s a pretty special recognition to the state of Canadian tennis. It’s not just me ... There’s many people doing well on this stage, the junior stages. There’s a lot to look forward to. There’s a lot of prospect. There’s a lot of hope. There’s a lot of positive future in Canadian tennis. It’s great to sort of be at the centre and front of that come Sunday. I’m glad that I’ve sort of been leading this charge, the first one to break through and really put these things together. But I’m by no means done.” How do you describe why or explain why you won compared to the match of two years ago? What’s the different Milos Raonic today compared to two years ago? “Two years ago I bottled up all the difficulties I had on court and never got it out.

Today I found a way to keep plugging away, keep myself in the match, then sort of turn it around. I was quite more vocal and a lot more positive on court.” How much of the myth of Roger Federer is on the other side of the net and not just another player you might be playing? “Yeah, it’s something you got to try to put aside very quickly. He has the most decorated achievements and successes in tennis, more than anybody by a good amount at this point. You’re playing who Roger is today, not who he’s been the past few years. So you try to focus in on that and what you need to do, try not to spend too much time and attention thinking about him. Especially for myself, I got to always worry about myself first.” Has (new coach) John McEnroe been a big help in making you more vocal on court, because he was the world’s best at that? “That’s for sure. I think it’s something that we’ve all been working together at. I think he’s definitely put an emphasis on it.

A lot of times I felt in matches that I need to sort of calm myself down to let things from getting out of control, I feel like when I get positive. I can get negative quickly as well. He sort of implemented it in the sense of from how he’s seen me play. There’s no, ‘too calm for you’, you tend to be too calm, try to get energy out of you, try to get it out of you on court and leave it all out there, try to get the most out of yourself.” Has he made you a bit angry? “I haven’t been angry. I’ve been quite positive. I think it’s more of a positive attitude. Keep plugging away, things will figure itself out.” What was it like having your parents looking on today, and the role they played from first introducing you to the sport to where you are today? “They’ve been the most significant role. I think the thing I’m most grateful about is they’ve always, since day one, is they’ve told me they don’t know anything about tennis. They’ve put me in the hands of people from a young age that they believed could help me and sort of stayed away from it.

They have always driven me to tennis, they’ve picked me up from practice, all these kind of things. They tried to be the best they can. But even to this day, they have not given me a piece of advice when it comes to my game.” They never played themselves? “No. I can probably maybe remember one weekend where they played on the local courts that I watched. Other than that, I doubt it.” What’s your earliest memory you have of tennis? “I know I was signed up for sort of a March break spring bake camp when I was 8 years old. I really don’t remember that. I remember sort of the bubble the first time. My earliest memories was when I tried out for this coach, Casey, in Toronto. I wasn’t good enough to be in the program then. I was just short of 9 years old. Me and my father started on the ball machine every morning at 6 in the morning and 9 at night, because that’s when court fees were affordable enough for us. That’s when they gave us a deal. I remember that ball machine pretty well.” Your dad just fed the machine? “I wouldn’t stop for two hours. I wouldn’t take any steps. I was very lazy.

I would hit tennis balls from the standing position for two hours. He would walk around and keep filling up the machine so I wouldn’t have to stop.” Did it make any difference that McEnroe was in the commentary box (during the semifinals)? Does it matter to you that he’s doing something else? “Yeah, it doesn’t really make a difference by any means. I understood that when we started. That was one of the things that was really beneficial for the way we’ve gone about things. I remember when I played Jack (Sock) in the third round, (McEnroe) messaged me and said: ‘Hey, they want me to call your match. Do you mind? If you need, I’ll sort of request to call another match.’ I said: ‘I don’t mind at all. Hopefully I will have to face the situation where you can’t call any other match.’ He’s been a positive influence. I’ve dealt with that. That’s the way it is. It’s the terms we came to. From the beginning, we had a clear understanding.” How big a breakthrough moment is this for your career, to reach a slam final, trying to break into that top group of players?

“Hopefully I make it count even more. I have a great opportunity on Sunday. That’s what I’m definitely going to be looking forward to it. There was a significant point for me coming back from two sets to love in the fourth round. Both Carlos (Moya, another coach) and John took me aside and said: ‘This can change your career at this point.’ So hopefully it continues that way.” You’ve gotten questions about McEnroe here, Paris even when you announced it (last month). Just wondering if this at all bothers you that this guy has been on your team for a couple of weeks and might get credit for you winning Wimbledon, if that happens? “At the end of the day, I get to win Wimbledon. Who cares?” You’ve certainly played Andy a number of times. You are familiar with each other’s games. What is the biggest challenge of facing him, and facing him here in the Wimbledon final? “Well, obviously it’s a challenge either way. He does a lot of things well. I think the biggest challenge for me, which I felt was the thing I want to happen the least, or repeat itself the least from Queen’s, is I got sucked into his game. I didn’t play on my terms.

That’s going to be the most important thing for me.” Take a minute and talk about how you worked on your career, aside from the coaching, but what other things have you worked on in terms of mental toughness? “I’ve tried to improve every single aspect from the way I eat, to the way I prepare before practices, before matches, in the off‑season, physically, mentally. I’ve engaged a lot of people when it’s come to this. I travel with a pretty good‑sized group. Sometimes too many people where it can get tiring. We did come here cutting it down quite a bit. But I have a lot of people that have a lot of input and sort of feedback for what I can do better at every single stage. I’ve spared no expense in trying to really get the most out of myself.” Diet‑wise, what is your approach now? “I just watch what I eat. I’m a lot more aware of what certain foods do for you, which foods are going to cause inflammation, which foods are going to be good for you, when you should eat, how you should eat, quantities, all these kind of things.

I don’t think I’m at the peak stage, but I’ve been optimally getting better and better.” The crowd was on Roger’s side (on Friday). On Sunday, they’ll be very much on Andy’s side. Are you happy to play the role of the villain? “I don’t know if it’s necessarily the villain. You face what you have to face. First and foremost, I’ve got to face myself, then I’ve got to face Andy. The rest, if I don’t have control over it, I try to make it as irrelevant to me as possible.” BREAKING DOWN THE FINAL Postmedia Network’s Stu Cowan breaks down today’s men’s singles final at the All-England Club ANDY MURRAY Wimbledon: Eugenie Bouchard beats Angelique Kerber, first Canadian to advance to singles semifinal | Toronto Star Tennis Wimbledon: Eugenie Bouchard beats Angelique Kerber, first Canadian to advance to singles semifinal Eugenie Bouchard makes Canadian tennis history by defeating Angelique Kerber 6-3, 6-4 to advance to her third straight Grand Slam semifinal.

Eugenie Bouchard of Canada celebrates winning a point against Angelique Kerber of Germany during their women's singles quarterfinal match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Wednesday, July 2. (Ben Curtis / AP) By Jennifer Quinn News reporter Wed., July 2, 2014 LONDON— Eugenie Bouchard’s path to a semifinal berth here at the All England club was slightly delayed Tuesday, but it was less of a pain and more of a thrill for the 20-year-old Canadian. As she and Germany’s Angelique Kerber were heading to Court One — one of the two large stadium courts here — security guards blocked their path. The reason? The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were heading to the Royal Box and everyone had to stop. “So we were just waiting, and then suddenly William and Kate walk by to go on Centre Court. I was a little bit in awe. That was my royal sighting of the day,” he said. “It was funny, because we actually walked to our court late because Kate and William had to use that hallway.

So it’s funny how Wimbledon does it.” Bouchard’s connections with the royal family — such as they are — have been widely discussed here, and seem to be a fascination for British reporters. (Her mother is apparently a fan of the royals, and gave all her children regal monikers.) What might be of more interest to sports fans is that Bouchard is well on her way to becoming tennis royalty. She is the first Canadian to make the singles semifinals at Wimbledon, is the only woman to have made the final four at all three Slams played this season, and will see her world ranking rise to at least No. 8 when they are released next week. Article Continued Below After defeating Kerber 6-3, 6-4 in a swift, one hour, 12 minute match, Bouchard will face Romanian Simona Halep, who is the highest remaining seed in the women’s draw. (The other semifinal is an all-Czech affair: Petra Kvitova vs. Lucie Safarova.) Both Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova, who could have blocked Bouchard’s route to the semifinals, were knocked out in upsets.

UNIMPLEMENTED COMPONENT - shatnerBox Bouchard has only played Halep once and did not win; on Tuesday, she said she “is a good player, and I’m ready for another good match.” The No. 13 seed Bouchard struggled to close out her win over No. 9 Kerber, who she beat a month ago on the clay of Paris. The Canadian finally advanced after 72 minutes on her first match point, which she set up with a down-the-line winner followed a point later by a Kerber backhand error. “It was a tough battle, I’ve played her before and I knew what to expect. I had to just keep fighting and I pulled it out at the end,” Bouchard said. The Canadian saved two break points in the final game and ended with three breaks of serve from 13 chances. She had 29 winners and 20 unforced errors. “In the last game, I was just trying to stay in the moment,” said the winner, now 7-1 at Wimbledon. “I was not thinking ahead.

That’s something I’ve been working on.” “I had a few bad errors in that game but I also hit some aggressive shots, that’s just my game,” she said. The Canadian lost her only previous meeting against Halep, on hardcourt at Indian Wells last March. “She’s a good player and I’m ready for another tough match,” Bouchard said. “I’m excited to be in the semifinals against (her) but I want to go further for sure.” Their progress to the final four has underlined the rise of a new crop of players in the women’s game. Former champions Serena and Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova are all out of the tournament. “I think it’s a normal evolution of things as the great champions get a bit older the new ones start coming in I think it’s a really exciting time for women’s tennis,” Bouchard said. Canada’s Milos Raonic, the eighth seed from Thornhill, Ont., was aiming to join Bouchard in a final-four place as he faced Nick Kyrgios, the Australian wild card ranked 144 who knocked out world No. 1 Rafael Nadal on Tuesday. With files from The Canadian Press Read more about:

Question: Which Canadian tennis player lost the Wimbledon women's singles final in 2014?
Answer: Eugenie Bouchard